by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – A Christian pastor who devoted his life to sharing the Gospel with gang members and the homeless was brutally beaten to death in Colombia after refusing to allow criminals to use his motorcycle to transport illegal drugs, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW).
Jesús Alberto Puerta Pérez was reportedly murdered on October 7 in Cartagena by members of a criminal gang he had been evangelizing. Investigators have yet to announce any arrests.
According to CSW, the gang members had previously borrowed the pastor’s motorcycle, which he used to earn a living as a motorcycle taxi driver. After learning they intended to use it for drug trafficking and other criminal activities, Puerta Pérez refused their request. Sources familiar with the case believe the gang intended to implicate him in criminal activity.
Puerta Pérez and his wife had spent eight years serving as missionaries, bringing the Gospel into some of Colombia’s most dangerous communities. The couple established a church in María La Baja but fled to Cartagena in December 2025 after receiving violent threats connected to their ministry.
Despite the danger, the couple continued reaching out to gang members and vulnerable people, determined to bring the message of salvation into communities plagued by violence and organized crime.
The pastor leaves behind his wife and three young children, ages 5, 6, and 12.
His murder highlights a growing crisis facing Christian leaders in Colombia, where criminal organizations increasingly target pastors who challenge their influence. According to Open Doors, at least 36 Christian leaders were murdered and another 18 disappeared between 2023 and 2025.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide has called for an immediate investigation and urged Colombia’s government to restore special protections for religious leaders, which the organization says were removed in 2023.
For Christians serving in regions dominated by violence, Puerta Pérez’s death is another painful reminder of the price some believers pay for carrying the Gospel into dangerous places.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
